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Official PlayStation Blog for news and video updates on PS4, PS3, PSN, PS Vita, PSPSat, 10 Dec 2016 00:26:18 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.3http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/cropped-PS-Bug-32x32.jpgomega force – PlayStation.Bloghttp://blog.us.playstation.com
3232Samurai Warriors 4 Out Today on PS4, PS3, PS Vitahttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/10/21/samurai-warriors-4-out-today-on-ps4-ps3-ps-vita/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/10/21/samurai-warriors-4-out-today-on-ps4-ps3-ps-vita/#commentsTue, 21 Oct 2014 13:02:18 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=142539First of all, allow me to express my immense appreciation to everyone involved on the Samurai Warriors 4 project who made this day become a reality. As you can imagine, bringing a game from concept to completion is a massive undertaking with many layers of processes. Getting to this point is a major achievement, and every launch day is a special one for each person involved, so it’s important that I start off by giving recognition to the great team behind this project!

Equally important is that I express my personal gratitude to all of our loyal fans who have been waiting for more than 4 years since the previous installment. Thanks for patiently supporting us throughout the years. We are proud of the action packed experience we’ve created and hope Samurai Warriors 4 meets your expectations and that you’ll have some sleepless nights ahead of you.

I’ve already had the privilege in explaining the basics and some of the highlights of Samurai Warriors 4, so I’m sure most of you are aware of what to expect already. Thus, allow me to pass on a few pleas from my end in the hopes of making the game more enjoyable for you from the moment you begin your quest.

Opening movie, please make sure to not skip it! I know everyone is eager to dive into the actual gameplay, but great effort has been put in to this by our development team, so take time to enjoy it and soak in the atmosphere which exists in the journey that awaits.

In the Story Mode hopefully everyone will play through at least one of the Regional Stories which will open up new scenarios allowing you deeper insight into the relationships between different characters as the overall story becomes more apparent. Chronicle Mode is another must-try feature allowing you to use a uniquely edited character of your own to travel and explore the land of Japan during the Warring States era.

Some of our devoted fans might have noticed this looking at our development timeline — the PS4 version of Samurai Warriors 4 was only decided upon after the Japanese launch of both PS3 and PS Vita versions. Initially, the plans for the West included releases on only those platforms as well.

However, after the release in Japan, we revisited our original plans and the decision to develop a PS4 version was made, with special consideration of the Western audience. As a result, players in the West will be able to select from all three of the PlayStation platforms at launch, giving them the ability to choose the version that best suits their needs whether it be environmental or the systems they own.

For our fans who prefer to play on PS4, remember to consider the collector’s edition, Samurai Warriors 4: Special Anime Pack which includes our 10 year anniversary anime film Samurai Warriors: Legend of the Sanada, along with many other elements selected with you in mind!

Last but not least, apologies for not being able to directly reply to your comments due to my language capabilities and schedule. Please be assured that not just myself but the entire team are taking note of every comment — now that Samurai Warriors 4 has launched and you can check it out for yourself, please let us know your thoughts and what you would like to see in future installments.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to communicate to you through this community and look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts and news with you. Until then… Thank you again and we hope you enjoy exploring the rich tapestry of the Warring States era. We’ll be anxiously awaiting your feedback!

On the eve of TGS, I’m lucky to have so much to be excited about! In the West, I can at last reveal the complete new character roster for Samurai Warriors 4, along with new images and video for them all today. Here in Japan, tomorrow, I’ll get to experience reactions to Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3 for the first time… I cannot confirm if this game is coming to the West at this time, but do hope to see Western players experiencing the game for themselves as well.

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Samurai Warriors, I thought you might be interested as to how the franchise came to be. Before there was Samurai Warriors, there was the historical tactical action series, Dynasty Warriors, which is based on the accounts of China’s “Annals of the Three Kingdoms” (known as “Sangokushi” in Japan), was and still is extremely popular.

Samurai Warriors was conceived around this time as a spinoff of the Dynasty Warriors series. In February 2004, the first ever Samurai Warriors launched on PS2. There was a lot of excitement and hype for the title and the game sold more than one million copies in its first month of release in Japan, establishing Samurai Warriors as a key franchise for Koei Tecmo.

The game has grown steadily since, and for every new installment, new characters have been added making it a popular talking point amongst the fans. For Samurai Warriors 4, we listened to the feedback from our loyal fans and decided to not only add new characters, but also update favorites from the series including Yoshitugu Otani, Toshiie Maeda, Aya, and others.

Speaking about the evolution of the series, in addition to new characters, we always strive for an ever-evolving battle system to create the most exhilarating combat possible. In Samurai Warriors 4, some examples include Hyper Attacks which combine rapid movement on the battlefield with high-powered attacks, deadly finishing moves with Mighty Strikes, and the ability to switch between characters in real-time, broadening gameplay within the massive map that awaits players.

Understandably the graphical capabilities and presentations differ between the platforms, but the core essence and fun of the game itself is more or less identical so the players have the option of choosing a platform that best suits their needs. Also the DLC and save data are transferable and can be shared so the players can opt to play on the Vita while on the move yet continue playing it on another system after returning home.

Our team is grateful to all of the fans who have supported Samurai Warriors throughout the years since its initial launch. Without them, the 10 year milestone would have never been reached and we are filled with so much appreciation of just that fact alone.

Obviously we have no intention of stopping here and will continue to explore expanding the franchise into different mediums such as anime and manga, to name a few. We want the fans to be the first to know our next steps for Samurai Warriors, so please look forward to that day.

And most importantly, please do continue to show us your astounding support as it keeps us going day after day.

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/09/17/samurai-warriors-4-new-characters-revealed-10-year-milestone/feed/31http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/samurai.jpg3.63Producer310Samurai Warriors 4, Special Anime Pack Coming to PS4 10/21http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/07/23/samurai-warriors-4-special-anime-pack-coming-to-ps4-1021/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/07/23/samurai-warriors-4-special-anime-pack-coming-to-ps4-1021/#commentsWed, 23 Jul 2014 13:00:10 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=135918Greetings! Hisashi Koinuma here with the first of several Samurai Warriors 4 news posts for PlayStation.Blog. As for my role on the series, I am the producer for not just Samurai Warriors 4 but also the third release. Talking a further walk down memory lane, I joined the Samurai Warriors series as director for both SW1 and SW2, so I’ve been with the series since its inception.

For the first time in four years, the series will make its return with Samurai Warriors 4 on PS4, launching October 21st.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Samurai Warriors, we are thrilled to announce the collector’s edition, “Samurai Warriors 4: Special Anime Pack”. It includes the anime “Samurai Warriors: Legend of the Sanada,” the official soundtrack for the game and lots of DLC content we hope you’ll enjoy!

If you’re not familiar with the Samurai Warriors universe, it is a strategy action game series with strong ties to a period known to have existed in Japan during the Warring States (Sengoku Jidai) era. Samurai Warriors 4 is set approximately during the 1600s, drawing players into these conflict-driven years and reliving the human strife experienced by all involved. Battles were waged within, as generals, officers and warriors fought to realize their ultimate vision of leading a unified country. This era was filled with betrayal, even between the most trusted alliances, with the outcome of powerful human emotions resulting in both beautiful and horrible consequences.

Here’s where you, the player, relive history by taking on the role of various warriors, eliminating all who stand in your way. Specialized attacks are key as you find yourself in the exhilarating one against a thousand action the Samurai Warriors franchise is known for.

Before signing off for the day, we wanted to send a huge THANK YOU to the loyal fans who made it possible to reach the series’ 10-year milestone. Stay tuned for more news on Samurai Warriors 4 leading up to its October 21st release date!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/07/23/samurai-warriors-4-special-anime-pack-coming-to-ps4-1021/feed/49http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/samuraiwarriors4.jpg3.61Producer490Toukiden: The Age of Demons Out Today on PS Vitahttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/11/toukiden-the-age-of-demons-out-today-on-ps-vita/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/11/toukiden-the-age-of-demons-out-today-on-ps-vita/#commentsTue, 11 Feb 2014 16:30:21 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=124697Toukiden: The Age of Demons is the “targeted destruction system” where players can feel the exhilaration of severing parts of the Oni’s body and destroying them. Players can choose from six different weapons, each with their own original attack methods and attributes. Using powerful attacks to slash, thrust and crush parts of the enormous enemy, I think it might excite the natural instincts of players.]]>Today’s the day to become a Slayer and save the world from the Oni’s destruction!

The most exciting aspect of Toukiden: The Age of Demons is the “targeted destruction system” where players can feel the exhilaration of severing parts of the Oni’s body and destroying them. Players can choose from six different weapons, each with their own original attack methods and attributes. Using powerful attacks to slash, thrust and crush parts of the enormous enemy, I think it might excite the natural instincts of players.

It is difficult to defeat the Oni, however, just by attacking them. By destroying parts of the Oni, the life energy that exists within them will be drawn to the surface. Attacking this life energy will truly damage the Oni. However, Oni not only possess an enormous life force, they are able to regenerate parts that are cut off — and these regenerated parts become even more powerful. The severed Oni parts that have fallen to the ground can be permanently destroyed through the Ritual of Purification, and this prevents the body part from being regenerated. Thus, in order to defeat the Oni, the destruction of body parts is a necessary part of the game system.

There are over 200 Mitama — the souls of famous historic Japanese figures — both real and fictional. The Mitama, which can be obtained by defeating Oni, each carry a battle style and/or skill which can assist in battle. Choosing which Mitama to equip deepens the strategic aspect of battle.

The use of “Japan” as a theme in the fantasy world of Toukiden is another key attraction of the game. I don’t think there’s been another full-scale hunting action game that has used a Japanese setting for the in-game world. The story and characters are completely original, and we received high praise from players in Japan on how the story unfolds and draws them in. This strong and beautiful Japanese themed world should be a refreshing surprise to Western gamers.

There is an abundance of content for gamers to experience, with over 100 missions in the Story Mode, and an additional 150+ missions in the multiplayer mode. The main story of Toukiden can be enjoyed entirely in single player mode, so no need to worry that it’s a game that can only be played and enjoyed in multiplayer mode. After the main story is finished, additional missions are unlocked with even stronger enemies. These are best cleared with the help of friends, so I hope you’ll go and defeat the powerful enemies together. There’s co-operative play through ad-hoc mode, or players can be easily matched online, so it should be pretty easy to find party members to battle together with.

With Toukiden: The Age of Demons, I think we’ve managed to make a game that even action game connoisseurs in the West will enjoy. Happy Hunting!